Earthquake.now

M4.8 Earthquake near Timbiquí, Colombia — 23 May 2025

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.8 was recorded near Timbiquí, Colombia on , with an epicentre 54 km north of Timbiquí, at a focal depth of 52.4 km. It ranked as the 3rd strongest of 4 earthquakes recorded in Colombia in the preceding 30 days.

4.8 Light

Time (UTC): 2025-05-23 04:56:47

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.8 (light)

Focal depth: 52.4 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 3.2584, -77.5778

Location: 54 km N of Timbiquí, Colombia

Country: Colombia

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 356, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 23:46 local solar time at the epicentre, late at night.

This event was shallower than 67% of the 87 earthquakes recorded in Colombia in our catalogue and stronger than 64% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 3.2584, -77.5778 — 54 km north of Timbiquí. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 115 km east-southeast of here on 27 August 2025.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Morales (115 km east-southeast), Darien (131 km northeast), Santa Genoveva de Docordó (140 km west-northwest) and Sipí (162 km north-northeast).

Why the 52 km depth matters

At 52 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.8 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

25 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.4 event near San José del Palmar on 10 August 2026. This M4.8 event released about 7,943 times less energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the May 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Colombia during May 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Colombia

All recorded earthquakes in Colombia →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Timbiquí?

It measured magnitude 4.8 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Timbiquí?

The focus was 52 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Timbiquí earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.8 and a focal depth of 52 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Timbiquí happen?

23 May 2025 at 04:56 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

How often do earthquakes happen near Timbiquí?

25 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.4 event near San José del Palmar on 10 August 2026. This M4.8 event released about 7,943 times less energy than that event.